Islamabad: Two units of the Mangla Hydropower project have undergone refurbishing, adding an additional 70 megawatts (MW) to the total power generation capacity, news sources reported on May 23. The funds for the project were provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), funds were granted for the upgrade and refurbishment of 5 and 6 number units in Mangla Dam. Following the completion of the project, each unit now has an additional 35 MW of power generating capability, reaching a total of 135 MW per unit. According to Wapda Member (Power) Jamil Akhtar, the Mangla Dam would be completely overhauled and refurbished at a cost of PKR 50.224 billion.
The USAID has contributed USD 150 million of the total. The dam’s overall power generating capacity will grow from 1,000 MW to 1,310 MW when the project is completed. This will bring the total number of power units on the national transmission line to 6.5 billion.
It is worth noting that Mangla Dam is one of the world’s largest earth-filled dams, with a total installed capacity of 1,000 megawatts and ten operational units.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
